Power Department's statement over additional bills

In the wake of complaints and public dissatisfaction raised in various areas regarding the June electricity bill, the Power Department has ordered distribution companies to quickly investigate and resolve the complaints. If the allegations are found to be true, administrative action has also been taken against the officials involved in negligence of duty or customer harassment.

The Power Department gave this information in a news briefing on Monday (July 6).

The briefing said that the matter is under the highest level of government surveillance and the situation is being monitored regularly. Most of the complaints received have already been resolved.

Explaining the additional bills, the Power Department said that the new electricity tariff set by the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) has come into effect from June. As a result, fewer units of electricity are available for the same amount of money than before and prepaid meter customers have to recharge more times than before. This is why many feel that additional money has been deducted.

The Power Department claims that in most cases, there is no fault in the meter behind the increase in bills. Along with the implementation of the new tariff, the demand and consumption of electricity have increased due to intense heat, low rainfall, Eid-ul-Azha, FIFA World Cup, SSC exams and increased use of electrical appliances. Due to high usage, many customers have moved to higher tariff slabs, resulting in increased bills.

However, the Power Department has admitted that in some cases, evidence of clerical errors was found during bill preparation. It has been informed that these bills are being re-verified and necessary corrections are being made.

The department said that considering the low-income customers, the previous tariff has been maintained for Lifeline and Phase 1 residential customers. At the same time, work is underway to increase the efficiency of the generation, transmission and distribution system, reduce system losses and expand smart metering while continuing subsidies in the power sector.

The Power Department has urged customers who have doubts or complaints about their electricity bills to contact the customer service center of the concerned distribution company. Based on the complaint, the meter will be tested, the bill will be re-verified and necessary action will be taken.

Meanwhile, the Power Department said that the government is also seriously reviewing the questions raised in the public mind about meter rent. A decision on this matter will be announced soon.

The department has requested journalists and content creators to verify the facts and report responsibly when publishing news related to electricity bills. It has also urged not to harm electricity installations by being influenced by rumors or misleading propaganda.